Truck tongue mounting



C. 0. LARSON.

TRUCK TONGUE MOUNTING.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 8. 1921.

Patented Oct. 3, 1922.

C/mrlw OZarao INVENTOR A'r'rcRNm Patented Dot. 3, 1922.

CHARLES 0. LARSON, OF DE KALB, ILLINOIS.

TRUCK TONGUE MOUNTING.

Application filed. February fi, 1921. SerialNo. 443,411.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that 1, CHARLES O. LARSON,

- a citizen of the United States, residing at De Kalb, in the county of De Kalb and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Truck Tongue Mounting, of which the following is a specification.

This'invention relates to means for connecting the tongue of a truck or similar vehicle to the axle thereof. 2 v

The tongue of an ordinary baggage truck, when not in use, lies on the ground and af fords so excellent and yet so inconspicuous an obstruction that most persons passing that way are liable to trip over it. Furthermorethese tongues often lie in a mud puddle and in cold weather may be frozen totho earth.

One object of the present invention is to provide a mounting for tongues whereby the tongue handle may descend no lower than the horizontal position and is there locked in position so that it at no time touches the ground but is always in a position to be easily reached for quick action.

The ordinary trucks have chains, hooks, springs orthe like, which are designed to hold the tongue vertically. These devices are unsatisfactory for various reasons. It is a further object of the invention to provide a mounting whereby when the tongue is raised to the vertical position it is automatically locked, thetongue however being easily released when desired.

It is within the province of my invention to provide a tongue mounting that is strong and'sturdy, serviceable, has few parts, is readily manufactured, easily attached to any make of truck, and in general is an improvement upon the tongue connections on the market.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention i's -not confined to any strict conformity with the showing in the drawing, but may be changed and modified so long as such changes and modificatmnsmarkno material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawing: F 1g. l is a perspective view, with parts broken away showing the invention in place, the tongue being in a horizontal position.

F 1g. 2 is a similar view showing the tongue in verticalposition. 4 i

The numeral 5 designates the front axle of a truck or other vehicle. To this axle is secured a pair of angle bars 6, straps 7 being employed for this purpose. The angle bars 6 project forwardly of the truck at right angles to the axle or parallel to the front wheels. Preferably these angle bars are horizontal and project from beneath the axle. Two hounds 8 are mounted upon the angle bars 6 in a manner to be detailed below. i The hounds are preferably formed of strap metal and arebent towards each other forwardly so as to nearly meet. A tongue 9 is made fast between the forward ends of the hounds.

The rear ends of the hounds have formed therewith integral plates 12 which have the form of a segment of a circle. One edge of each plate 12 is arcuate and comprehends approximately a quadrant. Another edge of each plate 12 is disposed at right angles to the main body of the hounds 8, the plates being disposed above the hounds when the tongue is in horizontal position and between the hounds and the axle when the tongue is in vertical position. gitudi'nal slot 10 extending for a portion of Each hound has a lonits 'length,and a headed element 11 such as a bolt or stud is made fast to the vertical flange of each angle bar 6. This headed element is adapted to ride in slot 10 and pro- 'vides a pivot upon which the tongue may rock. The slot 10 extends into the plate 12, though it is spaced from the arcuate edge of the latter. The plates 12, in effect, form upwardly-projecting extensions of the hounds 8.

Each plate has an arcuate slot 13 spaced from its arcuate edge and siihstantially concentric therewith. The end of the slot 13 which is uppermost when the tongue is in horizontal position is enlarged as at 14 to provide a locking seat. A bolt or the like 15 is secured to each angle bar 6 and is spaced from the element 11 by a distance approximating the length of slot 10. Each bolt 15 engages in the corresponding; slot 13 so as to permit the free swinging of the tongue. Because of the fact that the lower end of. the slot 13 lies in the plane of the slot 10 and because the bolts 11 and 15 lie in a horizontal plane, the tongue 9 is held horizontally and may not be moved below this position. However, when the tongue is raised to the vertical position,- the two: bolts 15 fall into the enlarged locking seats 1 1, whereupon the tongue is automatically locked and held vertically until deliberately disengaged. This disengagement isreaxdily done by lifting, up on the tongue. slightly and at the same time attempting to swing it. It will be noted that the hounds 8 both swing and slide upon the bolts 11 and that the latter do not reach the lower ends of slots 10- when the tongue is upright. Thussufiicient play is permitted to. allow unseating of the bolts 15,. as has been. described. I

\Vhat is claimed is 2- 1. In combination with a vehicle axle and tongue, a pair of bars secured to and projecting forwardly of thea-xle, a pair. of hounds mounted on the bars and made fast attheir forward ends to the tongue, plates at the rear ends of the hounds and rising above the same and means secured to each of the bars and engaged with the respective hounds and plates, whereby the tongue is held to the axle but may swingin a plane at right angles thereto and supported in that position. i

2. In combination with a vehicle axle and tongue, a pair ofbars secured to and projecting forwardly of the axle, a pair of hounds mounted on the bars and made fast at their forward ends to the tongue,-plates at the rear ends of the hounds and rising above the same, slotsv in said plates, other slots extending longitudinally of the hounds, and means secured to the bars and passing through all the slots whereby the tongue is held to the axle but may swing in a plane at right angles thereto and medially thereof.

3. In combination with a vehicle axle and tongue, a pair of bars secured to and projecting forwardly of the axle, a pair of hounds mounted on the bars and made fast at their forward ends to the tongue, plates at therear ends of the-hounds and rising above the same, arcuate slots in said plates, straight slots extending longitudinally of the hounds and spaced from the arcuate slots, and separate means secured to the bars and passing separately through the straight and arcuate slots whereby the tongue is held to the axle but may swing in a plane at right angles thereto.

4. In combination with a vehicle axle and tongue, a pan of bars: secured to and projecting forwardly of the axle, a pair of houndsmounted on the bars and made fast at their forward! ends to thetongue, plates at the rear ends of the hounds and rlsmg above, the same, straight slots extending longitudinally of the hounds and into the plates,.arcuate slots provided in the plates but separate from the straight slots, the lowerends, ofthe arcuate slots lying in the plane of the straight slots and the arcuate slots rising aboue-thestraight slots and ex tending for approximately a; quadrant, and means: fast to the bars and passing through the slotswhereby the tongue is held to the I axle and may swing; from a horizontal to a 1 vertical position in a, plane substantially at right angles to the axle.

5. In combination with a vehicle-axle and tongue, a pair of bars secured to and projecting forwardly of: the axle, a pair of hounds mounted on the bars andmadejfast at their forward ends to the tongue, plates atthe rear ends of the hounds and rising above the same, a pair of headedelements projecting horizontally from said bars and spaced apart from each other, a straight slot extending longitudinally of each hound and also into the plate, the forward headed elements )assingthrough said straight slots, curved s ots approximating a quadrant in extent provided in the plates, the rear headed elements passing through said curved slots, the lower ends of the curved slots lying in the plane; of the straight slots. said slots and headed elements holding the tongue ina horizontal. position and preventing the same from; moving below that position while permitting swinging of the tongue in a vertical plane to an upright position.

6. In combination with a vehicle axle and tongue, a pair of bars secured to and projecting forwardly of the axle, a pair of hounds, mounted on the bars and made fast at their forward ends to the tongue, plates at the rear ends of the hounds and rising above the same, arcuate slots in said plates, straight slots extending longitudinally of the hounds and into the plates but spaced from the arcuate slots, the lower ends ofthe i net e tong es en up g t arcuate slots lying in the planes of the i 7, In combination With a vehicle axle and tongue, supports mounted on the axle, a, pair of hounds pivotally mounted on the supports and made fast at their forward ends to the tongue. extension projecting upwardly from the ends of the houndsand provided with a slot, each hound being provided With a slot disposed et an angle to the slots in the extensions, and means formed on the supports and engaging the slots for supporting the tongue in either a horizontal ore vertical position.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature.

CHARLES 0. LARSON. 

